


Stay

by RoLo_Renegade



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst and Feels, At Least I Fixed the Unforgivable Departure of the Queen, Because You Can Never Have Too Many Cats, But We All Know There Is Only One Cat for Kara, But mostly fluff, Desert Angst Is Totally a Thing, F/F, I Call Catherine Willows Cat In This Story, I Think It Might Be, Is This a Fix-It, Just Like There's Only One Cat for Sara, So Is Vegas Fluff, supercat, there's a little smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-31 00:31:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12664659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoLo_Renegade/pseuds/RoLo_Renegade
Summary: The CSI/Supergirl crossover no one has probably ever thought to ask for.





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been driving me to distraction for far too long. I just need to get it out of my system. It takes place not long after the Supergirl S1 ending "Better Angels." CSI was actually off the air by that point, so it's totally dealer's choice for them. I'm setting it at some point where Sara and Catherine would have been working the grave shift together. I do reference some CSI-specific plot points, but this is definitely more of a Supergirl story. If you didn't watch CSI, no worries. You'll still be able to play along at home.

The soft sizzle of shifting sand surrounded her as she hovered above the ceaseless desert landscape. Moonlight glinted along the curves of her golden belt, cascaded down the curl and twist of her windblown locks as she held position—an exclamatory cut of color against the star-dappled darkness.

Head tipped back, she stared beyond the limits of human sight, deep into the vastness of galaxies she once mapped with mirrored precision from millions of light years away. Stargazing without the city’s inescapable illumination was always something even the hero with limitless visual acuity preferred. It was one of her favorite parts of flying home from the DEO’s Desert Containment facility at such a late hour.

That night, however, she couldn’t settle into full stargazing mode. Truth was, she couldn’t seem to settle herself at all—not since the events that occurred surrounding Non’s plans for Myriad.

Not since her decisions had changed everything.

The humans of the planet now looked at her with a reverence that frightened her. She knew well the power they offered her with their obeisance, and she chafed at the very notion of her worthiness.

Even the DEO agents with whom she worked regarded her now with respect that far surpassed the requirements of their duty. Alex, J’onn, Lucy, and surprisingly, Vasquez were the only ones who still met her gaze when they spoke with her of DEO matters, and in their eyes, she could see far worse than reverence.

She saw fear.

In Alex’s rich russet gaze, especially, she saw the terrified understanding of Kara’s devotion to her role as Earth’s defender. Alex had saved her that time, but Kara could see the unspoken knowing that there would be a time when Alex would be too late. She saw, too, the sorrow, anger, and resentment that spiraled outward from this truth in jagged, irreparable fissures.

She knew Alex assumed this meant some kind of failing on _her_ part—that somehow her love simply wasn’t enough to keep Kara there and safe. With her.

Many a night since, just as that night, Kara had let her tears flow at the thought that somehow Alex could ever doubt the strength of her love to Kara. Of all the uncertainty Kara had experienced since her life on Earth began, what she had never doubted were the love and loyalty of her _i e_.

What she knew Alex would never accept, however, was that Kara could never allow herself the luxury of placing her own life above the lives of all those she had the power to save. Not even the love she held above all else in her life could counter the guilt that would consume her if she didn’t do everything she could to protect the inhabitants of her new home world. Still, it broke her in inconsolable ways to know that Alex would spend the rest of her life bearing undeserved guilt should Kara ever need to finally see through what she had begun with Myriad.

And then there was Cat.

True to form, whatever maelstrom of emotions the CEO might have still been experiencing from the events surrounding Myriad, she kept them securely and impressively in check. Cat Grant might have a reputation for scathing comments and withering glares, but Kara had learned quickly that these were merely tools wielded with unerring emotional detachment.

True emotion was something Cat rarely displayed in such outward ways. True emotion, like true loyalty, was earned, never given.

The fact that Kara had earned both of these treasures from the smaller blonde, even in sparing doses, meant more to her than she could ever outwardly admit. Such an admission, even if only to Alex, would mean admitting other things she was most assuredly not ready to own at that time—if ever. Instead, she tucked those gifts inside her heart, precious gems she guarded with a disquieting possessiveness.

Cherished now, as well, were the moments she shared with the CEO during their fight to stop the Myriad signal. Kara knew Cat’s presence by her side, particularly in light of Alex’s necessary absence, was the only thing that had kept her focused and grounded. Not to mention, Cat had prevented her from committing to Maxwell Lord’s ill-considered plan that would have killed millions and banished her from the city—and people—she loved. Cat had proven herself invaluable as ever as Supergirl’s staunchest advocate and, even if unbeknownst to the CEO, as Kara’s second closest confidante.

If Kara sometimes dwelt slightly too long over the memory of how it felt to hold Cat in her arms or how secure and soothing Cat’s arms felt wrapped around her during their hug on the CatCo balcony—well, it was merely the hero’s attempt to retain one of the few positive memories from that horrific night.

Kara hadn’t even realized how desperately she had needed the hug until she had initiated it. On some level, she had registered the danger of such a move, knowing well Cat’s reservations regarding such unguarded displays of affection. She knew, too, how blurred those reservations had become with Kara, their daily routines steadily adjusting to accommodate the random brushes and lingering touches that passed easily between them.

And, even though she always knew to roll her eyes in faux flustered defeat, Kara had taken a particular liking to the subconscious way Cat would straighten the hero’s collar or smooth the wrinkles from her shoulder while snarking distractedly about whatever Kara happened to be wearing that day.

Of all the ways in which their physical interactions had morphed throughout the years, this one was uniquely Cat. Only the CEO harangued Kara for her dress style, but always in a way that left the hero convinced she never really expected her to change anything—or that she would want her to, for that matter.

The hug on the balcony, however, _had_ changed things significantly between the women—a truth neither fully understood until they had tried to return to the once comfortable parameters of their relationship only to find those parameters no longer clear. Even Kara, with her perpetually questionable faith in thick frames and ponytails, couldn’t deny how her breach of boundaries as Supergirl had altered the dynamic of her relationship as Kara Danvers with Cat.

Worry was futile, however, as Cat made quick work of addressing the new dynamic by promoting Kara.

Once the inherent shock of Cat’s decision wore off and Kara settled into the task of choosing her next role at CatCo, she also found herself forced to contend with an unexpected and unpleasant side effect of said new role. Whatever it was, it would no longer keep her at Cat’s side.

Kara’s days of constantly shadowing the CEO were nearly over. This truth significantly diminished her enthusiasm and slowed her decision making so noticeably Cat had finally given her a deadline that left Kara even more frozen than before.

And then there were the phone conversations that Cat had begun holding with her board of directors and several of the senior directors in charge of various national and international offices. The hero knew she was in the wrong for having listened to any of the conversations (let alone _all_ of them). After all, decisions regarding CatCo business ultimately rested solely in Cat’s control—and most assuredly not in any way with her now former assistant.

Still, when she first heard Cat utter the word “sabbatical” to the new board chair, she’d felt as if something irreplaceable had begun to crack within her. Each time she’d heard a new bit of conversation—of how Cat wanted to step away from running CatCo for an indefinite period of time, of how she needed to reevaluate her priorities and decide what she envisioned for her future and her family—the cracks grew deeper, the damage more permanent.

It was no wonder, then, that Kara was so restless on that of all evenings. She knew precisely where Cat was that night. She knew exactly what she was doing and what she planned on announcing to the press afterward. It was all going to change after that—had already changed for the hero, even before anything became official.

Cat would be leaving in the morning. She would make the announcement that evening after the awards ceremony she was attending in Las Vegas—her final official act as CatCo’s CEO before turning over the reins temporarily to James Olsen.

 _Temporarily_.

Kara kept reminding herself of this word, to which she clung with embarrassing desperation each time she heard Cat utter it during all those surreptitious conversations. It was the only tether she could find to grasp as it felt like everything else in her life tilted precariously around her.

With a disconsolate sigh, she shut her eyes to the view above her, hung her head and allowed the sorrow she felt in that moment to fill her to capacity. Cat was leaving. She was leaving CatCo, leaving National City, leaving James in charge, leaving no forwarding address, leaving behind layouts and deadlines and bylines and bottom lines, leaving the rat race, leaving her legacy, leaving her company, leaving her hero to the care of National City.

Cat was leaving Kara behind, and the most unbearable point of all was how utterly unfazed Kara had needed to pretend to be up to this point—because how could Kara Danvers be upset by something she wasn’t supposed to know? How could she openly mourn this unforgivable impending change when there was literally no _human_ way she could know anything about it?

The muscles in her throat clutched tightly against the sobs she was so tired of swallowing back. Even with nothing but starlight and sand as her witnesses, however, she refused to allow herself that release. Tears would do nothing to fix what Cat had now made irrefutable fact.

Cat was leaving.

Her body rotated in sync with the cool currents slipping past her. She halted, however, when her enhanced vision caught the garish blaze of Vegas—a neon wound to the desert’s inky isolation. A tremulous breath stuttered in her lungs and with a sudden force that rippled the air around her, she took off, drawn to the light and life bleeding into the darkness.

Outpacing reason and ignoring the voice sounding off all the warnings she already knew regarding why this was an irrefutably _bad idea_ , she barely remained subsonic as she sped toward the city lights. Only the sound of her earpiece signaling an incoming call finally broke her focus.

With a quick flick of her finger to activate the device, she instantly heard Alex’s voice filter through the open line. “Kara, what the hell are you doing? Vasquez just reported your tracker is showing you on the outskirts of Las Vegas.”

The hero flushed at the sound of knowing she could detect in Alex’s voice. “I’ve always wanted to see Vegas at night?” She shut her eyes, her whole face squinching in mortification at her feeble response.

“Right.” The brunette crossed her arms as she shook her head, sharing a knowing smile with Vasquez. They’d both already deduced for themselves the reason for the hero’s diversion, which had nothing to do with the way Sin City sparkled and flashed against the surrounding desert darkness.

Instead, they both agreed it had everything to do with that morning’s _Tribune_ headline that boldly declared, “Another Jewel for the Queen’s Crown: Cat Grant to Accept Edward R. Murrow Award on Behalf of CatCo Worldwide Media.” The Radio Television Digital News Association chose to bestow one of its awards for CatCo’s exclusive and unflinching coverage of the events surrounding Myriad, which included an in-depth interview the CEO had conducted on-air with Supergirl.

Alex knew the Queen herself was in attendance at the Vegas event. She had already seen the red carpet photos, thanks to an unusually distracted sister who didn’t notice the brunette watching her constantly reloading CatCo’s Instagram feed all evening.

Even Alex had to admit Cat looked stunning in staggeringly high stilettos and a dress fitted and slit in all the right ways. It was the way Kara looked at Cat’s photos, however, that Alex found far more interesting: equal parts desire and misery, mixed with a surprising tinge of fury.

“I thought maybe someone had finally told you about the 24-hour all-you-can-eat buffets.”

The agents laughed at the perturbed huff, followed quickly by, “Wait. They have those?”

“Sure do. I bet you could even walk into any of them in your uniform and no one would even look twice.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Although someone might mistake you for a Cirque du Soleil performer.”

“You’re a riot sometimes, Alex.”

“And you’re a terrible liar all the time,” she countered. At the responding silence that lasted several beats too long, the agent pressed, “Kara, is everything okay?”

The hero at first only shook her head in response as she struggled to strengthen her sensory resistance to the deluge of visual and aural chaos before her.

“It’s so—it’s t-too—”

Alex heard the tightness of rising panic in her sister’s voice. “It _is_ , Kara. It’s too bright and too loud and too frenetic even for humans.” She let some humor into the soft tone she’d taken to soothe Kara’s overloading senses. “That’s kind of the point: shock and awe the visitors out of as much as possible.”

She heard the shallow breaths and sharp swallow. “You don’t have to go in any further, Kara. If you want, I can meet you at your place and we can binge more _Torchwood_ over potstickers.”

“Ooh, can I come, too?”

Both Danvers sisters laughed in unison at Vasquez’s unexpected query. Alex brightened at the uninhibited smile the agent offered her—a rare sight from the normally reserved tactician.

When Kara finally responded, Alex relaxed at the returned composure she could hear. “Oh, you’re on there, Susanita,” she teased, using the nickname Vasquez would only ever tolerate from her _abuelita_ and the bubbly hero. “You’re definitely joining us for our next binge marathon. But I’m gonna need a rain check.” She stammered slightly, “I-I’ve got something I need to take care of tonight.”

Once more, Alex and Vasquez traded knowing glances. “So focus on her, Kara.” The older sister smirked at the surprised gasp she heard through the open line. It was time, however, to let this particular Cat out of the bag. “I know you can find her, just as easily as you can find me. Focus on her and that should help you block out everything else.”

In the ensuing silence, Alex imagined her sister hovering against the night sky, processing her words and trying to come up with some kind of deflection. Instead, she heard what she was certain was a sigh of relief. “I-I found her.”

It was as good a confession as the brunette could hope for in the moment. Sharing a half-smile with Vasquez, she replied, “Go to her, Kara.” Her smile grew in fullness. “I know that’s what you want.”

Alex chuckled at the respondent huff of faux annoyance. “Fine,” she replied at last, “but you and Susanita need to start spending a little less time worrying about _my_ romantic endeavors and a little bit more about your own.”

Knowing from the double shocked gasps she heard through her line that she had given as well as she had received from the two DEO agents, she hastily added, “Good luck with _that_ conversation,” before quickly closing her connection with a tap.

Far more pleased with herself than she expected, the hero left behind the desert darkness, allowing the rhythm of Cat’s heart beat to guide her through the din.

Flying just above the blanket of dazzling illumination, the hero scanned the streets, following the familiar thrum that always somehow soothed her. She could tell from the slow, steady rhythm that Cat was more than likely enjoying the relaxed buzz of whatever liquor she drank throughout the awards ceremony. The hero huffed in a moment of jealousy, wishing more fervently than usual that she could dull some of her own edges in a similar fashion.

The sound of Cat’s heart beat led her deeper into the chaos of color and cacophony until the assault of surrounding stimuli became more than Kara could hold back. For several disorienting moments, the hero struggled to re-engage her blocks, cursing once more a city filled to bursting with so much unnecessary sensory overload.

By the time she regained control, she realized she had lost Cat’s location. With a trepidatious sigh, the hero slowly began to lower her heightened defenses, hoping to relocate Cat quickly enough that she could reinstate them without any further trouble.

Drifting slightly into the full glare of a cluster of spotlights, she listened patiently. Her barriers were nearly back down to their normal level when she finally found what she was seeking. Her relief was short-lived, however, as a startling exclamation coming from somewhere near the CEO reached her ears.

_“Cat, get down!”_

Before the words had even passed into ephemera, Kara was speeding toward the source, a foreboding Technicolor blur on an unstoppable trajectory. As she flew, she opened up her enhanced senses even further—heard the strike of the firing pin, smelled the explosive charge igniting, and knew she could not slow down.

As she listened to the first bullet spiral down the gun’s barrel, she spun in mid-air, cape swirling around her as she dropped to her feet and wrapped her arms around the woman in front of her.

The report of gunfire rang like a klaxon down the darkened alleyway. On some level, the hero felt the soft patter of four distinct shots striking her right shoulder. More importantly, however, she heard the way they fell harmlessly to the pavement, no longer a threat to the life of the woman in her arms.

With a relieved sigh, she relaxed her hold. She registered peripherally the sound of someone running farther back into the alley. She heard, too, the frenetic heart rate of the woman in her arms—heard with a growing sense of chagrin that it was not the heart beat she had anticipated hearing.

Leaning back, she studied the woman in front of her with a full level of attention she couldn’t previously spare. Long strawberry blonde hair spilled over strong shoulders and bright cerulean eyes glared up at her from beneath much more sharply angled eyebrows. She noted the stronger jawline and less angular chin, and she frowned at the absence of the full lips whose pout she would forever deny having memorized a thousand times over.

“What the _fuck_?!”

The hero jumped back at the sound of the question the strawberry blonde hurled at her with unexpected, yet oddly familiar, vehemence.

“Cat.”

“Are you out of your mind? You could have been shot!” The thought caused her to reach out, much to Kara’s surprise, and flip up the edges of the cape to look more closely at the woman’s shoulders and down her entire upper body. With a huff half relief, half returning ire, she continued, “A cheap Halloween costume does not actually make you bulletproof!”

“Cat!”

“I don’t know what bar you just stumbled out of, but I should have LVPD haul your bubbly blonde ass—”

“Catherine!”

The CSI whirled finally at the sound of her dark-haired partner using her full name. “Sara, so help me god, there better be a good reason for interrupting me.”

With a nervous swallow, Sara knelt down behind their unexpected guest, retrieving something from the ground near her bright red boots. When she held out her gloved hand for Catherine’s inspection, the strawberry blonde clicked on her flashlight to illuminate what Sara was trying to show her. Resting in her palm were the remains of four spent bullet casings. Catherine’s eyes widened at how the casings were mangled as though they’d smashed against something—impenetrable.

At the sight of realization dawning in the strawberry blonde’s expression, Kara smiled cheekily. “For the record, the government department that now pays for my uniforms points out to me whenever I ruin one how _not_ cheap they actually are to produce. Oh, and I never drink while on duty—not that it would matter much if I did.” She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “My ‘bubbly blonde ass’ unfortunately is too alien to be affected by your planet’s alcohol.”

“That’s gotta suck.”

Both blondes turned at the words Sara realized too late she’d muttered too loudly. However, the sight of Detective Jim Brass jogging toward them, two uniformed officers in tow, sidelined the strawberry blonde from responding.

“Catherine, Sara, are you all right?” The wizened detective’s gaze scanned them both thoroughly, his expression betraying the depth of his worry. “We heard gunshots. What the hell happened?”

The dark-haired CSI hitched her thumb in the direction of the alley behind them. “The perp apparently wasn’t as far gone as we thought.”

Catherine cut in, her tone sharp with irritation and a barely controlled tremor of fear. “Who the hell cleared this scene before we got here?” A shiver coursed through her limbs at the memory of the last time she’d entered an improperly cleared crime scene. With an unconscious touch to the faint trace of scarring along her forehead, she finished, “I’m kind of over being ambushed while trying to do my job, Jim.”

Brass held up his hands in a placating gesture. “I’ll find out.”

“And when you do, you make sure they never work another one of my crime scenes again.”

The detective merely nodded, understanding the truth of Catherine’s harshness. The guilt he had felt every time he had seen the gash on her forehead from her altercation with Dwayne Gallo had ripped through his gut like a through-and-through. “Did you happen to see where the perp went when he ran?”

Before either CSI could respond, Brass caught the movement of the third woman who had been silently standing between Catherine and Sara. Having written her off as one of Vegas’s quirkier eye witnesses when he first noted her presence, he couldn’t help but note how eagerly both CSIs turned to watch her the moment she shifted position. With a slight tilt of her head, she replied to Brass’s question, “Hold that thought.”

Brass was certain he’d never felt quite so gobsmacked as he knew he looked the moment the woman suddenly lifted off the ground and flew— _flew_ —into the darkness of the alley. He heard the sharp intake of breath from his officers and noted even Catherine and Sara seemed stunned by the action.

Gunshots in the distance once more caused the group of officers and CSIs to tense. Just as Brass prepared to order his officers to locate the source, he halted, swallowed down the profanity of disbelief that leapt easily to his lips at the sight before him.

Kara descended smoothly to a position behind the group, her cape falling around her with a heavy shift. With one hand, she held aloft a man desperately trying to wriggle free of her unbreakable grip. She held the hand in which he gripped his gun at an obviously painful angle behind him.

In one final desperate attempt to free himself, the perp pulled the trigger again. The gun, which the hero had intentionally aimed toward herself, fired a bullet directly into her face.

She felt the distant slide of the bullet along her cheek, heard the surprised gasps from the officers and CSIs around her. Tightening her grip until the man in her hold yelped, she stated, “The bullets aren’t going to hurt me, but me breaking your trigger finger _would_ hurt you.”

The compliant swallow she heard in response curled her lips slightly upward. “Good call. Now, why don’t you let one of these fine CSIs have your gun?”

She pulled backward on his wrist just enough that he grunted in discomfort and instantly loosened his grip. Sara moved quickly enough to bag the gun before it slipped completely from his hand.

Satisfied, the hero turned her attention toward Brass and his officers. “Happy to hand him off to you, now.” Her smile, so incongruous to the moment, made Brass laugh despite himself.

“You heard her,” he gruffed, spurring his officers into motion. As they cuffed him and took him into custody, Kara stepped back and folded her arms across her chest. Brass chuckled once more. “Is this what superheroes consider a night on the town?”

Brass found the sound of Supergirl’s bright, full laugh at his question irresistible. “You know, you ever get tired of being the Hero of National City, I’m sure I could line up an equally cool title for you here. How about ‘Defender of Decadence’?”

Kara felt the heat of her blush through her cheeks, knew her nose had crinkled in that way Alex always teased her about as she considered the detective’s comment. “It does have a lovely alliterative ring to it,” she agreed, “but I’m not sure National City is quite ready to let me go.”

“And we never will be, if I have anything to say about it.”

All eyes instantly diverted toward the unexpected voice coming from the alley entrance. Even with the darkness of the alley obscuring the figure from full view, Kara didn’t need to use her enhanced vision to recognize the striking akimbo pose.

“Cat!”

The CSIs and Brass watched in surprise as the hero floated toward the newcomer, touching down softly by her side. With a low hum of approval, the CEO arched one eyebrow in a way that sparked heat low in Kara’s stomach.

The sound of approaching footsteps halted any further words as Kara turned to see Brass and the two CSIs approaching. Kara could see the recognition the moment it sparked in each of their expressions. The strawberry blonde was the first to speak. “This is an active crime scene. How did you get in here?”

Kara couldn’t fight the goofy grin she knew had found its way to her lips, too mesmerized by watching the elegant gestures Cat offered with one hand. “Admittedly, it’s been a hot minute since I walked a crime beat, but I assure you—” she paused, her jade gaze slipping down along the tactical vest the other woman wore before quickly shifting back, “—Ms. Willows, I do remember my way around crime scenes, including how to bypass that garish tape you always insist on wrapping around everything.” She flicked her fingers toward the alley. “I believe the ‘active’ part of your scene is far enough away that I won’t contaminate anything—as if Vera Wang could ever be considered a contaminant.”

At mention of one of Cat’s favorite designers, Kara shifted her focus, feeling her mouth suddenly go dry at the sight of Cat’s wardrobe. Even after having studied the smaller blonde’s evening gown in extensive detail—only because it was a slow night at the DEO and Kara just happened to have the CatCo Instagram feed open on her phone for totally legitimate reasons she simply couldn’t recall in the moment—she couldn’t quite seem to catch her breath at the actual sight standing before her.

The soft faille silk, dyed a shade darker than the blue of Kara’s uniform, clung to Cat’s curves in all the best ways as it flowed downward, almost touching the ground. A side slit that stopped high along Cat’s thigh revealed the toned line of one leg and a silver peep toe slingback with a dangerously thin stiletto heel. The draped front and ruched sides accentuated her lithe form, while the hero found it almost impossible to shift her gaze from the barely modest way the neckline dipped enough to reveal the soft hollow between...

“Supergirl.”

Startled sapphire gaze shifted upward instantly, meeting a Cheshire cat curve of lips that let her know just how busted she was. With a nervous shift, the hero stammered weakly, “I, um, I was—your necklace is-is lovely.”

Expression not the least bit altered by the hero’s comment, Cat replied, “I’ll let Ms. Meyer know she’s made a Super fan.”

“Ms. Grant?” Both the CEO and the hero turned at the call. Kara felt the blush burning her cheeks as she watched the two blondes share unnervingly perceptive gazes before the CSI continued, “Pardon my bluntness—”

“—but what the hell am I doing invading your crime scene?” Cat pursed her lips while digging out the mobile phone in her clutch. With an airy wave of the device, she explained, “I’m staying at the Mandarin, right across the way.” Gaze cutting knowingly toward the hero, she finished, “So imagine my surprise when my phone started blowing up with Google alerts on Supergirl sightings suspiciously close to my hotel.”

Feeling the shift of all gazes toward her, Kara forced a grin that was more grimace and laughed nervously. A realization, however, caused her to frown in Cat’s direction. “Wait, you—why do you get Google alerts on _me_?”

With a melodramatic eye roll, the CEO rejoined, “You are a CatCo brand, Supergirl. You should know by now how _proprietary_ I am about what’s mine.”

The implication of Cat’s words slipped down Kara’s spine with a wicked shiver.

“Besides, you know I can’t resist the temptation of coincidence—like you showing up right across from where I happen to be staying.”

The hero knew she should have refuted the unspoken indictment, knew she should say something about how _she_ wouldn’t have known where Cat was staying, but all she could muster under the penetrating jade gaze was a barely audible whimper.

“Sounds like a lot of coincidence going on tonight, doesn’t it, _Cat_?”

Kara’s eyes widened in shock at the sound of the brunette CSI’s question, directed with obvious enunciation toward her strawberry blonde companion. The CSI huffed in amused agreement. “Definitely, Sara.”

Pointedly ignoring the hero’s flustered glare, she introduced herself to the CEO. “Ms. Grant, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Catherine Willows—although my partner insists on calling me ‘Cat.’”

Sara snorted at the statement. “Yeah, well, that insistence saved your life tonight.” The dark-haired CSI finally met gazes with Kara, her features suddenly tight with emotions she struggled to suppress. “Thank you for saving her.” She pressed her lips together at the noticeable crack of her voice.

“Hey, hey. Babe, it’s all right.” Sara relaxed at the feel of one of Catherine’s hands cupping her cheek while the other slid soothingly along her bicep. Turning to face the strawberry blonde, she gave a jerky nod, her eyes glistening in the low light. Catherine could see the emotions that Sara had always been so careful to cage in front of others. She could see, too, the reflection of her own fear of what might have happened that night and all it could have meant—all it could have taken from both of them.

Knowing they both would need far more comfort once they were safely in each other’s arms, Catherine still leaned close enough to brush a kiss against the brunette’s cheek and whisper, “I’m here, Sara. I’m safe.” She shifted her gaze toward the hero who was watching the moment with unveiled relief for the two women—not to mention a hint of longing that made her mistaken identity save make all the more sense to the strawberry blonde. “Figures I’d get a guardian alien instead of a guardian angel.”

The hero blushed and dipped her head, her lips quirking to hide her amusement at the CSI’s teasing.

With a brusque clearing of his throat, Brass stated, “You two pull yourselves together.” He shot them both a look daring either CSI to comment on the affectionate edge to his voice before turning and starting for the alley entrance. “And secure your crime scene,” he finished, winking toward Kara when he heard Catherine’s predictably profane response. As he passed the hero, he patted her shoulder, muttering under his breath something about “brick shit houses” that caused Kara to frown in confusion.

After one more stolen kiss to the brunette’s cheek, Catherine moved toward the CEO and gestured pointedly toward the main street. Before the CSI needed to utter anything, Cat held up her hands in a rare show of acquiescence before gathering enough of her evening gown in one hand to lift it clear of the ground. “I will go peacefully, Ms. Willows. I prefer the side of Vegas that comes with cocktails and showgirls anyway.”

Catherine cocked an eyebrow as she placed a guiding hand on the CEO’s elbow. “How do you feel about the side that comes with a flask of Jim Beam and an ex-stripper?”

The CEO smiled coyly at the question. “I feel intrigued.”

“Cat!”

Both blondes glanced over their shoulders at the surprising stereo chastisement wrapped in matching tones of adoration. The CEO, however, narrowed her gaze in a way that caused Kara to visibly squirm before she fell in-step with the CSI.

The soft shuffle of Sara’s boots against asphalt drew Kara’s gaze. After several beats of scrutinizing silence, the hero’s brows drew together pensively. “Don’t worry about contamination from me. I, um, I don’t, you know.” She sighed. “I don’t typically leave behind evidence,” she finally settled on as explanation.

The brunette instantly perked at this statement, investigative wheels clearly spinning into motion in her brain. “Really?”

Curiosity drew her closer to the Kryptonian, who blushed slightly at the focus but chuckled at the inquisitive delight she saw in Sara’s gaze. She couldn’t help but think the CSI would get along quite well with Alex. “Yeah. My body’s decay rate is slow enough that anything I might leave behind in the form of skin cells would be barely microscopic.”

“What about a swab?” At the flash of confusion to pass across Kara’s face, Sara explained, “A cheek swab? It would be a way to help us rule out anything you might have left behind.”

“Oh.” She blanched at the thought of what Alex would say to her willingly offering to submit her alien DNA to any organization other than the DEO. “Uh, I kinda think that might be a really bad idea. You don’t want my sister showing up in your lab to collect that from you.” She leaned in and whispered, “She’s scary in a Black Ops Secret Agent kind of way.”

The comment coaxed a liquor-sweet laugh from Sara, giving Kara a clear view of the prominent gap between the CSI’s front teeth. “I’d prefer to lead a decidedly Black Ops-free life, thank you.”

“Wise choice,” Kara agreed.

The CSI tucked her hands into her back pockets, nodding once in the direction of the alley entrance. “I should apologize for Cat’s initial reaction. _My_ Cat,” she amended after a beat. She noted the way the hero’s eyes widened at the implication. “She has a penchant for—extremely expressive language.”

The hero laughed at the delicate wording. “No worries. My Cat is just as linguistically feisty.”

“ _Your_ Cat?” Kara spun so quickly, Sara was surprised the asphalt didn’t buckle under the motion. Both women stared silently at the figure once more striking that perfectly silhouetted akimbo pose at the mouth of the alley.

“M-Ms. Grant!” The hero stammered nervously and made to approach, hesitated, and finally settled on gripping one edge of her cape as if it were her last bit of security.

Even in the shadows of the alley entrance, Kara could see the elegant arch of the CEO’s eyebrow. More surprising, however, was the disappointed pout of her lips as she studied the hero.

“Back to ‘Ms. Grant’ already? Pity,” she purred while stepping close enough to be within arm’s reach of the hero. Kara barely drew a breath as she watched Cat’s eyes shift along her features.

With a curious hum, the CEO finally raised one hand and pointedly smoothed where Kara’s cape fell across one of her shoulders. She never broke eye contact, the dare in her expression unquestionable.

“When you’re finished here, come see me. If I’m not already on the balcony, I’ll leave the door open.”

Kara blinked once, blinked again. Her mouth suddenly ran dry as she struggled to reply. She realized too late how her jaw had fallen agape, cheeks burning at the feel of Cat’s fingers pressing up against her chin.

“Try not to keep her too long, Sara,” and with a satisfied smirk, she turned and once more departed from the alley.

The dark-haired CSI watched her for a moment before turning back toward the hero with a bemused huff. “Does she always do that? Kind of just move through like she’s in charge?”

“She usually _is_ in charge.”

Only after catching the involuntary hitch of Sara’s eyebrows did Kara realize the insinuation of her statement—made all the worse by how her voice had suddenly dropped to an unintentionally sultry cadence.

“Even super-powered, I think you’ve got your hands full there.”

The CSI flashed another of her gap-toothed grins at Kara’s flustered sigh. She grew more serious when she spoke again. “What you did tonight—even though it was a case of mistaken identity, thank you.”

Kara began to protest, embarrassed by anyone else realizing on any level how disoriented she’d become from the city’s boisterous flotsam. The way Sara studied her with such gratitude, however, shut down the lie before it could start.

“I’m so glad I was in the right place to save her, Sara. You two make quite a pair.” She did nothing to hide the envy that slipped along the edge of her voice.

In a surprising show of openness for the brunette, she nodded and stated, “She’s everything I never thought I deserved—and everything I now can’t live without.”

The shine of tears bright in her eyes, she held out a hand toward the hero. Kara quickly shook her head, moving past the proffered hand and into a full hug before Sara could register what was happening.

Kara noted the instinctive flinch of muscle she felt course through the brunette before finally feeling her return the embrace. Sometimes she forgot that not all humans craved touch the way she did. However, she was relieved when Sara tightened her hold briefly before letting her hands drop to her sides.

“You better get going,” the CSI teased, ignoring the roughness of her voice. “Cat Grant doesn’t strike me as the patient type.”

With a noise of pure incredulity, Kara pushed off from the asphalt. “You have no idea.” She waved as she began to float higher. “It’s been—weird,” she laughed, “but in a really good way. Stay safe, Sara, and—and make sure to keep your Cat safe, too.”

The brunette CSI watched as Supergirl ascended, waving until she saw the hero zip out of view.

Once more high above the city, Kara found herself overwhelmed by a nervous energy she knew she’d need to burn off before being able to face Cat. With a backward roll, she took off for a quick lap around the city’s center, which turned into an outward spiral that encompassed the whole city and its suburbs. There might have even been a part of her that wished to find another crime scene that might have benefited from her assistance.

She did come across another investigation, led by a man who, by what Kara could hear him saying, had a disturbingly detailed understanding of the mating cycle of a particular beetle that had made its way to his scene. With an uncomfortable grimace, the hero quickly suppressed her enhanced hearing and headed finally for where she knew Cat was staying.

As she approached the balcony to the suite she knew was Cat’s, she slowed to a near stop at the sight before her. Cat was, indeed, waiting for her to arrive. She stood on the side opposite Kara’s position, elbows propped against the balcony ledge, tumbler clasped between her hands. She still wore her evening gown, and Kara allowed herself the indulgence of studying the exposed line of smooth skin from her shoulders to the small of her back, and how the ruched fabric accentuated the subtle hint of curves beneath the silk. The way the breeze tousled her hair made Kara ache to reach out and smooth down the curls the wind left out of place.

Gliding soundlessly toward the CEO, she held position within Cat’s peripheral range, not wanting to startle her. After a moment, she turned toward the hero with an unapologetically bright smile. “You came.”

Kara was uncertain which was more surprising: the warm way Cat looked toward her or the pleased lilt to her voice. “You asked me to come.”

Taking a sip of her drink, Cat shifted so she was fully facing the hero. “We both know I didn’t _ask_ you anything.”

Laughing despite her remaining nerves, the hero moved over the balcony’s edge and touched down in front of Cat. “However you worded it, I still came.”

“One might wonder whether you didn’t have some kind of masochistic bent for indulging me the way you do.” She tilted her head to the side, eyes shining brightly. “We could be a perfect match. God knows I’ve heard enough people, including several exes, accuse me of being a sadist.”

Kara stared intently at the CEO, clueless as to how to respond—even more clueless how to interpret the coil of emotions she felt tight and low in her stomach. With a slight shrug, she finally replied, “I don’t think that’s an entirely fair assessment of you.”

Unable to resist, Cat pushed away from the balcony’s edge and eased toward Kara. The hero struggled to maintain eye contact, noticing peripherally the hypnotic sway of hips that tempted her to shift her gaze.

“Work wife status notwithstanding, you’ve never actually been married to me.”

Kara blanched at the implication of Cat’s statement, noted the expectant rise of the smaller blonde’s eyebrow—clearly daring the hero to deliver the denial she knew awaited. With an impatient sigh, she finished her drink in one smooth toss before turning and walking away from the stymied hero.

“Trying out being the strong, silent type tonight?” She set down her glass and pivoted once more toward Kara. With each returning step, her smile grew equally cockier and more unnerving.

“This isn’t—I-I shouldn’t have come here.” With a gentle push, the hero lifted from the balcony, floating backward away from the CEO. Her eyes held a tangle of emotions Cat wanted desperately to decipher. “I’m sorry to have bothered you, Ms. Grant, especially on such a celebratory evening.”

Cat arched one brow at the comment. “But you clearly traveled all this way to see me—or, at the very least, to find me. I must admit, it’s been a while since I was stalked with such exactitude. Besides, there wouldn’t be anything to celebrate this evening if it hadn’t been for you, so if there were anyone I should be with tonight, it would be you, _Supergirl_.”

Kara flinched at the emphasis of her alter ego’s title. Every excuse, every reason, every lie she’d told herself regarding why she needed to keep Cat on the outside of her truth felt paper-thin and pointless in that moment. Needing to deflect from the precarious path down which they were heading, the hero queried, “Why did you say it was a pity when I called you Ms. Grant instead of Cat?”

The CEO shifted her weight, one hip jutting sharply with the movement. Kara noted the timpani uptick in her heart rate—a subconscious betrayal of her outward calm that only the hero would hear. “I rather liked the sound of it.” She shrugged in minor concession. “Particularly the way you said ‘My Cat.’”

The hero huffed with an irritation that took the smaller blonde by surprise. “You—you don’t _belong_ to anyone, Cat.” She dipped her gaze to the balcony deck, embarrassed by the surprising rush of tears that threatened to fall at the declaration.

“Is that what you want?” Kara’s head snapped back at the directness of Cat’s question. “For me to belong to you?”

“No!” Kara felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment at the volume and vehemence of her response. “People aren’t property. I would never want you to relinquish your independence and freedom for me.”

The smile to lift Cat’s lips and light her eyes left Kara completely bewildered. “You’ve always been so refreshingly literal. I wonder, is that a Kryptonian thing?” She held up her hands in a show of surrender. “Completely off-the-record question, of course.”

“Why?”

“I told you once before, there’s a lot I don’t know about you, and that should probably change.”

Fighting down the paralysis of panic threatening to overwhelm her at the words familiar and frightening enough to Kara Danvers, the hero stated with as steady a voice as she could muster, “I hope you have a lovely evening, Ms. Grant.” Without pause, she rotated in midair away from the CEO.

“ _Kara_.”

The hero stiffened, her form suspended just beyond the barrier of the balcony’s edge. Cat would have laughed at the situation if it weren’t so damnably mocking: Kara, always so close and yet so frustratingly beyond her reach.

She stared for several beats at the back of the hero—at the golden curls that shifted in the breeze and the soft pleats of her cape hanging from shoulders Cat noticed folded inward as if faltering under some unbearable weight. Her fingertips itched with the desire to reach out, grip the cape or tangle in flaxen locks or whatever it took to keep her from leaving.

“Stay.”

Kara whirled in midair, startling Cat enough that she unconsciously stepped backward. Even more startling was the pain she saw spark in the hero’s glare. “And would it matter if I said the same to you?”

The CEO felt her jaw drop open in surprise at the question. Kara tapped one of her earlobes in response. “My sister can tell you in excruciating detail how difficult it is to keep secrets from someone who can hear everything.”

Despite her desire to leave before she said something too damning, Kara returned to the balcony, touching down in front of Cat. “You’re planning to leave CatCo. You were going to announce the start of your _temporary_ sabbatical this evening.”

Eyelids slid shut at the statement, but not before Kara caught the shift of contrition in the smaller blonde’s jade gaze. “Is that why you promoted me? Setting me free before you leave?”

Even in light of Kara finally abandoning pretense regarding her identity, all Cat could hear were the anger and hurt thickly tangled around her words.

“I promoted you because you deserved it. You deserve the chance to grow and find your path.”

“And why can’t my path be beside you?”

Cat clicked her tongue. “You are smart and talented and astonishing.” She moved a step closer, touched her fingertips to the crest of the House of El that adorned the hero’s uniform. “ _You_. Not this suit or the powers you use to protect us as the Hero of National City. You, Kara. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for. And you deserve so much more than a work life dedicated to meeting my capricious whims.”

“What if I said I don’t view what I do in such a pejorative light? What if I said I view it as an honor and an invaluable learning experience?”

“Then I would point out you really are a masochist, and we should stop trying to deny we were meant to be together.”

With a surprising boldness, Kara gave no verbal reply, choosing instead to close the distance between them and capture those full coral lips in a searing series of kisses.

Once the initial shock of Kara’s unexpected boldness cleared, the smaller blonde melted ever further into her hero’s hold with every press of lips she felt along her jawline and neck. It was several moments before she noticed the tears tangled with those kisses or the desperate mantra of “Please stay” Kara breathed across her skin like the final prayer of the condemned.

Pushing back enough to see Kara’s face, she felt her breath halt at the darkness surfacing from beneath the hero’s normally sunny countenance. In Kara’s eyes, Cat could see the truth that Kara could no longer cover—of the desolation of losses too many and far too great for even the unbreakable to bear.

“Please don’t leave me, Cat. Please.”

Cat felt the breaking point when it arrived, as Kara’s entire body began to tremble at this final plea. Broad shoulders once more seemed to collapse inward and the smaller blonde knew she needed to move quickly before Kara’s legs gave way beneath her.

Grabbing the hero’s hands, she led them to the couch tucked back in the balcony’s alcove. Guiding Kara until she felt the hero’s calves bump into the furniture, Cat pressed gently against her shoulders to get her to sit. Without a second thought, she instantly slid into the hero’s lap, wrapping her arms around Kara’s shoulders just as the hero’s arms wound tightly around her waist.

The initial sob cracked like a dam breach, tears flowing ceaselessly down Kara’s cheeks as hitching breaths rocked her entire body. Cat could feel her own tears begin to fall at the pain and fear pouring from Kara in the most heart-rending dirge the smaller blonde had ever heard.

Most unforgivable of all was knowing _she_ had caused this. Her misguided attempt to set them both free had only served to wound instead. And now she felt Kara’s arms tighten around her, right to the edge of painful, as if terrified Cat would slip away right then.

“Oh, Kara.” She cradled the hero’s head against her chest, fingers wending soothingly through golden locks. “My darling, I’m so sorry.” She bent close to Kara’s ear, whispering some form of those words until she could feel the sobs begin to abate. Still, she stroked the hero’s hair, punctuating her whispered penance with gentle kisses along her temple.

“I’m so sorry, Kara,” she sighed once more as she took the hero’s face between her hands, damning the tremble she couldn’t control. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“I he-heard you.” She clenched her teeth against the unexpected hitch of another sob. “You made all the plans. You-you told James he would be in charge.”

“I did.” Even though she knew how painful the truth would be, Cat refused any further deception. There would be no more room for lies between them. “I did all the things you heard, Kara. I put everything into place so that I could step down as CatCo’s CEO tonight.”

Feeling the renewed trembling threatening to overwhelm the hero once more, she quickly finished, “But I didn’t make the announcement.” She waited until she knew Kara had refocused her attention. “I didn’t make the announcement, Kara,” she repeated softly.

It hurt Cat to realize that, for the first time since Kara had come into her life, she saw disbelief in the hero’s gaze. With all she had put Kara through, the hero had never before lost her trust in the smaller blonde. Now, seeing that faith fractured was a damning blow to Cat’s normally unaffected disposition.

“W-why didn’t you?”

Returning to running her fingers through Kara’s hair, she offered the most self-deprecating smile the hero had ever seen grace Cat’s lips. “Because it still stands true: The worst decisions I have ever made in my life were based on fear. And I realized almost too late that _this_ would have been the worst decision of them all.” She leaned forward to press a kiss against still-quivering lips, licking away one of the hero’s tears as she did. “Even with as terrified as I might be of what this will mean for both of us, running from you would be unforgivably foolish, Kara.”

Cat breathed a sigh of relief at the feel of Kara’s grip on her lessening enough to be manageable. To shift the mood slightly, she sniffed in mock horror. “Oh, and I have let Tim know he needs to have his best programmers figure out what the hell is wrong with Siri.”

At the confused crinkle to appear along Kara’s brow, she explained, “That insufferable know-it-all was going to send me to Bhutan. _Bhutan_! As if a yurt could house all of this magnificence,” she sighed while gesturing airily at her form, draped perfectly across the hero’s lap.

Even as tears still stained her cheeks, Kara found herself laughing at the smaller blonde. When she spoke, her voice was thick with still-heightened emotion. “Why did she want to send you to Bhutan?”

“Because in a clearly delusional moment, I entrusted her to tell me where the happiest place on Earth was.” She stood unexpectedly and, using the high slit in her dress to full advantage, she re-positioned herself so she was straddling Kara’s waist. She heard the moment the hero stopped breathing and wondered abstractly how long a Kryptonian could go without air.

Once more cupping Kara’s face, she leaned forward and placed a kiss against the firm, full lips she had longed to feel with a persistence that was now rewarding her more than amply. As she dipped her tongue into the warmth of Kara’s mouth and swallowed the gorgeous moans that vibrated against her teeth, she felt her hips roll of their own accord, sliding her more securely into the hero’s lap.

Pulling back just enough to draw a breath, she finished, “Clearly, Siri has never been where I am right now.” She tugged Kara’s lower lip between her teeth before pressing a hard kiss against the soft skin along the curve of her jaw.

Struggling to find her words amidst the sensations stealing through her body, Kara stammered, “Y-you think my lap is the happiest p-place on Earth?”

Tongue searing a path along the strong line of Kara’s neck, Cat’s breathy laughter shivered down the hero’s spine. “I think with you is the happiest place I will ever know.”

She gently kissed the tip of the hero’s nose as she watched her words settle around her heart, precisely where they belonged. “Stay with me, Kara.”

“Tonight?”

The smaller blonde held Kara’s gaze, cool blue orbs desperately seeking more than just a temporary relief—seeking shared desire and the promise of refuge for a heart so deeply scarred yet still so willing to love with the fullness of her entire being.

“For as long as you’ll have me, Kara.” She smiled softly at the instant shine of tears she saw. “For however long you can put up with me.”

Eyes clear of any doubt, she instantly replied, “Forever, then?”

Looping her arms around Kara’s neck, Cat rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide how deeply the hero’s words affected her. “Is that on the record, Supergirl?”

Cat squeaked slightly in surprise at the feel of Kara pulling her flush against her and floating them up from the couch. Powerful arms wrapped snugly around her and she registered on some level the feeling of floating toward the balcony doors into her suite. More pressing was the feel of Kara’s mouth sucking the sensitive spot below her ear with an insistence that bordered on overwhelming. “You can quote me on that every day, Ms. Grant.”

And then one of Kara’s hands was slipping along the slit of her dress, and Cat couldn’t press tightly enough against the hero’s muscular frame. “Not the only thing I want to do to you every day,” she husked while she unsnapped the cape catches beneath Kara’s suit. The fabric slipped from broad shoulders with a solid thump, followed by boots kicked off and dropping to the floor next.

When Kara finally settled the smaller blonde back into the plushness of her bed, she was surprised to feel the zipper of her dress already down. The pleased smirk on Kara’s face quickly morphed into a lustful gaping as she slipped the dress down Cat’s frame, revealing a decided lack of undergarments.

With a cocksure shift of her brow, the smaller blonde stated, “You know I loathe panty lines almost as much as the word ‘panty,’ darling.”

Words lost their way to Kara’s brain as her gaze ran appraisingly along the length of Cat’s body: the soft slope of breasts topped by rose-kissed nipples, the concave dip of her abdomen and the contrasting jut of hips, the glistening strip of dark blonde curls, and toned thighs and lithe legs that ended, incongruously enough, at feet still adorned by those unreasonably high stilettos that Kara secretly loved watching Cat wear.

The tightness in the pit of her stomach unraveled at the sight, pooling between her thighs in a heat that left her slick and throbbing. Super speed nearly wasn’t fast enough for her to remove the rest of her clothes—and, regrettably, Cat’s heels as well—before descending to a position between the smaller blonde’s legs.

The breath she expelled at the bare length of Kara’s muscular form pressing down into her shook Cat all the way to her toes. Hands roaming freely along ample curves and stunning muscles, she looped her legs around Kara’s waist, her hips once again rocking in an unconscious rhythm.

The hero shuddered at the sensation of Cat’s wetness against her, and pressed down enough to grant her a greater degree of friction.

“Oh, god, Kara.” Brow furrowing at the sensation, Cat increased the pace of her grinding, unabashedly painting her need across the hero’s hard abs.

Fingers unleashed then upon Kara’s breasts, teasing and tweaking pliant flesh into stiff peaks that Cat pounced upon fervently. With unstoppable tongue and lips, she had Kara arching uncontrollably and making noises Cat was certain were untranslatable in any language, Earth or Kryptonian.

When words finally found their way to the surface, Kara could only form one thought, which she offered Cat with a pleading persistence: “Please make me yours.”

The unspoken revelation slipping between the words of Kara’s simple plea quelled the urgency of Cat’s moves. Eyes wide with comprehension, she loosened the crushing press of her thighs around the hero’s waist. Reaching up, she laced her fingers through the soft hair at the base of Kara’s neck. With a gentle tug, she encouraged Kara to settle into her embrace. “Come here, my darling.”

She sighed blissfully at the feel of Kara pressing her into the mattress, relishing the solid strength coiled beneath Kara’s smooth skin.

When they kissed again, Cat set a much slower pace, memorizing every centimeter of Kara’s lips with a detail that left the hero dazed and whimpering for more. With a guiding shift of her hips, the smaller blonde flipped their positions so Kara was nestled beneath her.

Gently kissing the hero once more, Cat focused her attention down to the solitary goal of coaxing as much from Kara’s body as she possibly could. Understanding guided her hands as she moved Kara from pleasure to pleasure, holding her in her tightest embrace possible each time she felt the hero fall apart with ecstasy.

And when she heard Kara’s three-word confession, gasped in the throes of yet another enviably consuming climax, Cat held her face and her gaze with equal strength, determined not to let her shrink away from speaking the truth of her heart. The blinding smile the smaller blonde received in response to her own similar admission made Cat wonder if it were at all possible for Kara to exude actual sunlight from her body’s reserves.

They made love well into the early hours of morning, Kara taking the lead nearly as often as Cat. The smaller blonde sighed with impressed candor at the way Kara learned the intricacies of her desire with the same devotion she placed into everything the hero had ever done for her.

And when finally Cat needed to concede to even her own highly impressive human limits, Kara wrapped her in strong arms and settled them down into the copious sheets and pillows surrounding them. The sensation of Cat snuggling into her embrace and almost instantly falling asleep filled Kara with a calm deeper than any she could ever remember. Instead of sleeping as well, she lay awake, relishing every beautiful beat of Cat’s heart—as much the sound of home to the hero as Alex’s heart beat had always been to her.

Hours later, as dawn broke in warm pastels across the eastern sky, Kara couldn’t help the smile that overcame her at the feel of Cat beginning to stir in her arms. Jade eyes slowly blinked, struggled to focus. “Hey,” she sighed, voice filled with sleep and contentment. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Not yet,” the hero shyly confessed. “But I’m glad you did. You earned it.”

Humming her agreement, Cat curled into Kara’s hold, stealing a few more blissful moments of feeling the hero wrapped around her. “I need to get up if I want to get out of Vegas as early as possible.”

Kara swallowed nervously. “To come back to National City?”

Hearing the uncertainty that still lingered, Cat brushed a kiss against the hero’s cheek and confirmed, “To come _home_ , Kara.”

Pushing herself up onto an elbow, she queried, “Will you come over once I’m back? Carter is spending the weekend with his father, and we need to spend some time talking about moving forward.” She twirled one of Kara’s soft curls around her finger before finishing, “And I definitely would like to spend some more time doing what we did all night.”

The sight of a blushing Kryptonian was rapidly becoming Cat’s new personal aesthetic. “I, um, I definitely think we can do all those things today.”

“Perfect.” With a languid stretch, the smaller blonde reluctantly sat up. She caught the way Kara’s pupils dilated at the sight of the sheet slipping past her breasts and pooling around her waist. “Later, Supergirl.” She kissed the tip of the hero’s nose. “Good things come to those who wait.”

With a mildly disappointed sigh, Kara sped her way once more into her suit. “Good things won’t be the only thing coming if I don’t leave now.” Kissing Cat softly and slowly one more time, she lifted from the ground and began floating toward the balcony door. “You know, I could fly you home with me if you wanted.”

When she saw the admonishing finger wag, she chuckled and spun once for good measure. ”See you soon, then,” and she slipped out the door and soared up into the clear morning sky.

Needing to settle herself a bit, she took a few laps around the city, pleased to find no pressing need for her assistance anywhere along her route. As she completed her final round, she hovered along the edge of the downtown strip, senses finally adjusted to the overwhelming presence beneath her. With a soft smile and a deep breath, she turned once more toward National City.

It was time to go home.

As Catherine and Sara stepped out of the crime lab, another grave shift behind them, the strawberry blonde stretched and yawned while Sara dug through her messenger bag in search of her keys. A sudden punch to her bicep nearly caused the brunette to fumble and dump everything onto the sidewalk. “Ow,” she hissed while trying to keep the bag in her grip. “What the hell, Cat?”

Without a word, Catherine pointed upward, a sanguine smile curving her lips. Shielding her eyes, Sara followed the path of Catherine’s finger, snorting in laughter when she caught the focus.

The Hero of National City soared across the cerulean sky, sunlight glancing off the flow of her cape as she raced toward the desert horizon. The CSIs both smiled at the corkscrews the hero threw into her flight path before accelerating with a supersonic boom and disappearing from sight.

“I’m pretty sure those were ‘I got laid’ loops.”

Catherine warmed instantly to the sound of Sara’s laughter, the gap in her teeth on rare full display. The strawberry blonde bit back any comment on how it had been too long since she’d heard her partner laugh like that. Instead, she slipped on her sunglasses and took hold of Sara’s arm.

Tugging the brunette behind her, she called over her shoulder, “Come on, Sidle. Breakfast is on me.” Rakish grin teasing her lips upward, she finished, “And if you’re really lucky, you’ll be doing your own loops later.”

Laughter filled the parking lot as Catherine continued to lead the now-blushing brunette to Sara’s Prius, casting one final, grateful glance toward the now empty horizon.

A matter of moments later, the hero glided through the windows to her loft. The unexpected sight of the occupants on her couch caused her to hover rather than let her boots make any noise for fear of startling either. One learned quickly that startling DEO agents was not the best idea, even if one was bulletproof and nearly invincible. She surveyed the empty takeout containers and beer bottles on her coffee table as well as the pile of discarded boots and various pieces of tactical wear beside the couch, and fought back the delighted laugh bubbling within her.

However, her sister was well-attuned to recognizing her presence, even in sleep, and immediately started to stir. Sleepy cinnamon gaze struggled to focus and a silly smile tugged at her lips when she realized it was morning and her little sister was _just_ getting home. “We stopped by in case you chickened out and came home last night, but looks like someone hit it big on her first trip to Vegas.”

Kara snorted at the comment while gesturing toward the other agent who had taken up residence on the hero’s couch. She’d never seen Vasquez look quite so content as she did tangled in Alex’s arms. “And looks like _you_ finally had that talk.”

The gorgeous blush that tinted her sister’s cheeks only grew darker at the sound of the voice muffled against her neck. “Talking did occur last night, among other things. Too early for talking now. Sleeping now. Kryptonian, sleep, too.”

Kara laughed at the limited coherence of the tactician. With a knowing smile, she glided into her kitchen and set a pot of coffee to brew. Floating back to the living room, she hovered long enough to kiss her sister’s temple before heading to grab a shower.

It was as she she stood in her room afterward, wrapped in a towel and staring at her wardrobe options, that doubt began to wend its way through her thoughts.

Cat said she wanted her to come by that morning—but as Supergirl? Or Kara? She glanced at her uniform, pensively chewing her bottom lip. Surely, someone of Cat’s mien should be seen with an equal—and that was _not_ Kara Danvers. But would Cat want anything more public with either? Or was this a purely private dalliance for the smaller blonde?

As if sensing the slippery slope of worry she was getting ready to travel, Cat chose that moment to text. Kara fumbled for her phone while tucking her towel more securely around herself. Reading the words, she laughed as the tension drained from her shoulders.

_Wish I had accepted your offer. Would have made for a far more enjoyable journey. Leaving airport now. I can have my driver swing by and pick you up on the way through. We can have brunch at Tivoli if you’re hungry. #IKnowYouAreHungry_

The teasing hash tag made Kara’s smile so wide, she was certain her cheeks would hurt if she were human. More importantly, however, was the fact that Cat wanted to pick her up and take her to brunch. Whatever was happening between them—and Kara breathed a silent prayer to Rao that, whatever it was, it would only grow stronger—Cat wanted it with Kara. 

_I am hungry. Food sounds good, too. Will wait for you outside. BTW, invitation to travel with me is always open. #VIPExclusive_

Blushing even in the privacy of her own room at her cheesy presumption, she tossed her phone onto the bed and set to finding something suitably civilian to wear. After selecting her favorite pair of jeans and a blue button-down from Alex that matched the color of her eyes, she slipped into a pair of brown flats and retrieved her glasses from her nightstand.

Seeing her message light blink, she quickly unlocked her phone.

_Looking forward to fully experiencing all your ravenous appetites. Though I assure you, darling, I’ll leave you like those Snickers you hoard in your desk._

Not realizing how long she had stood staring slack-jawed at Cat’s final text, she nearly fumbled the device at the feel of it vibrating with another message.

_ETA in 5. Chop, chop._

Mischief glowing in her gaze, Kara chose a flying superhero emoji before slipping her phone into her pocket.

Passing back out into the main portion of her loft, she lit up at the sight before her. Alex sat with her back against the arm of the couch, her legs stretched across Susan’s lap. Both women sipped from coffee mugs, heads bent close as they talked. The short-haired agent’s expression softened into a beautiful smile at whatever Alex had just said and Kara couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Invisibility is not one of your powers, Kara,” her sister finally teased. “So stop skulking and staring and tell us all about winning big at the Cat Grant lottery.”

With a snort of amusement, Kara moved closer. “We’re going to have to table that conversation for now.” Her nose crinkled in a way Vasquez would swear was too adorable to be anything but alien. “I, um, I have to go now to meet Cat downstairs. We’re going to brunch.”

“She’s feeding you? Must be love.”

The hero’s whole demeanor altered, grew brighter at the intimation of her sister’s statement. Alex’s eyes narrowed at the sight before the brunette shook her head and laughed. “Go on, then, Girl of Steel. Your Queen awaits.”

Bursting with excitement, Kara grabbed her jacket and, with another quick kiss for Alex and a shy wave for Susan, she shot from the apartment. Her feet barely touched the stairs as she sped down them, hurriedly tying her hair back into a ponytail as she did.

Cat’s towncar rolled to a stop in front of her building moments later. Leaning down next to the open passenger window, Kara waved in greeting. “Hey, Georgie. How’s the family?”

“Just fine, Ms. Danvers.” She smirked playfully at how Kara rolled her eyes as always at the formal address. “It’s good to see you again. Ms. Grant will be _very_ happy to see you as well, I’m sure.”

Kara felt heat creep through her face at the wink the driver shot her before she slipped into the passenger section of the car.

Before they had even pulled back into traffic, the hero found herself pinned by the press of Cat once more straddling her lap. Fingers made quick work of releasing the freshly tied ponytail and tangling in her thick golden waves to draw her as close as possible. The smaller blonde’s mouth crushed with bruising force against hers, devouring the hero’s moans with unceasing hunger.

When she finally released Kara’s lips with a wistful sigh and sat back, Kara couldn’t manage to do much more beyond blink, her glassy-eyed stare causing Cat to purse her lips in satisfaction.

“H-hi,” she managed after a moment, her hands curving around narrow hips protectively. “You, uh, you aren’t in a seat belt.”

The chagrined frown that chased closely after her words finally drew a laugh out of the smaller blonde. Offering another kiss to soothe her embarrassment, the smaller blonde whispered against the pout of her lips, “I have faith in the way you could restrain me if necessary.”

“Oh. _Oh._ ” The hero shifted tellingly, her pupils flaring wide as Cat’s statement settled with provocative pique within her brain.

With a growl that Kara thought sounded just on the right side of voracious, Cat teased against her ear, “Oh, Kara, you are going to be _fun_.” 

**Author's Note:**

> So...there you go. It ended up being way longer and way more angst-heavy than I expected, and now I'm terribly behind on my main story...but that's okay. Now that I have exorcised this weirdness, it's back to CADMUS Ascending...


End file.
